There鈥檚 long been a push to bring more teachers of color into classrooms, with policymakers and district leaders spearheading recruitment and retention initiatives. But one voice has been notably missing from the conversation: high school students of color.
So says Amber Ravenell, the director of research for Teach Plus, a national organization that supports teacher-leadership. The group about why they would鈥攐r wouldn鈥檛鈥攇o into teaching.
鈥淲e all are aware of the emphasis on and how worried everyone is about the diversity of our teaching profession, ... but we felt like there was something missing,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e really created this research to elevate the voices of students of color.鈥�
About 80 percent of the teaching force is white, although more than half of K-12 public school students are students of color. Research has shown that teachers of color have academic and social-emotional benefits for all students, but particularly students of color.
Current teachers of color helped facilitate the focus groups with the students, who hail from 18 states. The students who participated attended last year鈥檚 Educators Rising national conference, which is meant for aspiring teachers.
Ravenell said some of the students were 鈥�100 percent committed鈥� to becoming a teacher, while others were still mulling it over.
鈥淎 lot of students were really excited about the prospect of teaching, ... about being a potential role model for future generations, excited about being able to share their love for a particular subject,鈥� she said.
But, 鈥渢hey shared some of the same concerns that we see from current teachers of color: 鈥榃ould this be a welcoming environment for me, working in a school as a teacher?鈥欌��
Here鈥檚 what the researchers learned from the conversations.
Why high school students of color don鈥檛 want to be teachers
The students cited a few common deterrents to choosing teaching as a future career. For starters, they mentioned low salaries.
Teachers make an average salary of $68,469, according to the National Education Association鈥檚 research, although that varies significantly from state to state. And the national average starting teacher salary was $42,845 in the 2021-22 school year.
Past research has shown that most high school students, regardless of race, don鈥檛 consider teaching as a viable career choice, but the stakes can be particularly high for many students of color: Black students are more likely to take on student loans than their peers.
鈥淲ith a lot of our friends being [in a] low-income, high-poverty demographic, even if they did have the money to go to college, it doesn鈥檛 make sense for them to pick something like teaching compared to the other fields ... that will make you a lot more, especially for those who are first-generation college applicants and students,鈥� one 10th grade student from Missouri told the researchers.
Some students of color told researchers that their family members wanted them to pursue a career that would pay more.
Another concern shared by many of the students was that teachers don鈥檛 have the autonomy to design a curriculum that is representative of the diversity of their schools, and that they face limitations on how and what they teach.
鈥淚 know a lot of teachers, and I鈥檝e talked with teachers of color and Indigenous teachers, and they鈥檙e like, 鈥榃e don鈥檛 have a say-so in our curriculum. We can鈥檛 teach what we want or how we want, and we have a lot of observations with our administration.鈥� So it鈥檚 not even like they can get any type of leeway,鈥� an 11th grade student in Nebraska said. 鈥淎nd so I think that鈥檚 made me not want to be a teacher. I鈥檇 rather be one to change that policy or change that curriculum.鈥�
In recent years, there has been a push among conservative politicians to restrict how teachers talk about race, racism, and other so-called 鈥渄ivisive鈥� issues. Some of the students noted that they felt like they weren鈥檛 able to learn about important issues because they 鈥渙ffend鈥� people.
One high school senior in Texas said: 鈥淚 feel like education should embrace the cultures of many people of color. I know 鈥� a lot of elementary schools don鈥檛 support or don鈥檛 do anything like Black History Month. And even in high school, some of them aren鈥檛 doing anything like that. Or being inclusive with their education. I feel like people who are people of color will actually draw closer to education if they knew that they were supported in that and that they could teach about their own culture as well.鈥�
Finally, the students also noted that they鈥檝e experienced microaggressions and harmful comments at school, both from students and staff. When teachers don鈥檛 intervene in instances of bias, the students said, they feel less safe at school鈥攁nd less likely to want to return as a teacher.
鈥淭his might be a hot take, but I think the reason why [people of color], especially Black people, the main reasons why we never want to become teachers is one of the main reasons why we never want to become police officers,鈥� a 12th grade student in Ohio said. 鈥淚 think it has to do with our past experiences and the fact that, in the back of our minds, it鈥檚 like, these are bad guys 鈥� but with teaching, there鈥檚 so much more we can do. 鈥�
鈥淪o I feel like if we get past that, the more I feel like we get past ourselves and realize that鈥檚 something that can happen, and finally realize that, if you want to change things.鈥�
Why high school students of color do want to be teachers
Many of the students interviewed had positive experiences with teachers of color, who they say were able to relate to them through their shared identity and experiences.
鈥淭he ones who can speak my languages understood my culture best. They were able to connect and help me the most, because they understood me,鈥� said a high school senior from Nebraska.
Some of the students said they were inspired to consider teaching by the teachers of color they鈥檇 had.
The students also said they were drawn to the teaching profession because they wanted to be role models and develop strong relationships with future students.
(This is in line with other research about why high school students of all races want to be teachers: enjoying working with children and young people, wanting to make a difference, and being inspired by a teacher were the top three reasons cited by students .)
鈥淪ome things that I find attractive about being a teacher is the relationships you build with students,鈥� said an 11th grade student in Ohio. 鈥淚鈥檝e seen how powerful those relationships are and the great connections that brings as well. As a teacher, you can also advocate for your students.鈥�
The students said that they鈥檇 be more likely to go into teaching if they know they鈥檇 be working in a school environment where teachers of color and Indigenous teachers are valued, respected, and protected, where teachers are trained to support different student needs, and where teachers have the agency to teach a culturally affirming curriculum.
Ravenell said it was notable how much students鈥� concerns reflected the concerns of teachers of color from previous TeachPlus research. She said she hopes to continue studying why there are so few teachers of color.
鈥淲hat we heard across the board was how many students of color are really hungry for more opportunities to have their voices heard on this issue,鈥� she said.
The TeachPlus researchers recommend that school and district leaders work to create diverse and inclusive school environments to which students of color would want to return. District leaders should also create opportunities for students to learn more about teaching as a career, they said.
Meanwhile, the researchers recommended that policymakers increase teacher pay and establish incentives for teacher leadership, as well as prioritize culturally affirming instructional materials and pedagogy.
